The present invention relates to a door lock indicating device. It is desirable from a convenience standpoint and also from a safety standpoint to have an indication on the inside surface of a door as to whether it is locked or unlocked. When people are closing up a house to leave it, there is no way to tell whether the door is locked or unlocked without turning the doorknob and testing it. This is inconvenient and irritating when a person is in a hurry and has several doors to check. In addition, an increasing number of fire and safety departments are coming to realize that such an indication is important from a safety standpoint. People often panic and become confused in an emergency situation within a building. In attempting to leave through a door, a person may accidentially lock the door thinking that he is unlocking it. Some states have enacted laws concerning this problem.
Although the need for a door lock indicating device is recognized, there is an objection to such an indicating device which detracts from the appearance of the door or that requires extensive modification of the door itself.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and improved door lock indicating device that is simple in construction and efficient in use and that does not require an alteration of the door that detracts from its appearance.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved door lock indicating device that can be readily used to adapt existing door locks to provide an indication of the position of the door lock or that can be manufactured as part of the original door lock construction.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a new and improved door lock indicating device that can be manufactured at a practical cost.